Weather Report

Chicago's severe winter trifecta of the late 1970s

December 27, 2009|By Tom Skilling

The winters of 1976-77, 1977-78 and 1978-79 occurred about three decades ago, but Chicagoans who lived through these severe winters will never forget them. During those winters, the city was pounded repeatedly by heavy snow and subzero cold -- establishing winter benchmarks that seem unimaginable in light of recent winters. When Chicago's climatological normals change from 1971-2000 to 1981-2010, these winters will no longer be used in the calculations -- so Chicago's winter normals should see a significant rise in temperature and decrease in snowfall.